Formed as a side project to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, the band was originally known as Mini Seeds and was formed by Cave as "a way to escape the weight of The Bad Seeds." The band's name was inspired by a Memphis Slim song, Grinder Man Blues, which Cave is noted to have started singing during one of the band's early rehearsal sessions. The band's eponymous debut studio album, Grinderman, was released in 2007 to extremely positive reviews and the band's second and final studio album, Grinderman 2, was released in 2010 to a similar reception.
Following extensive touring after the release of Grinderman 2, Grinderman disbanded after a performance at the Meredith Music Festival in Victoria, Australia in December 2011. The band split up in order to focus on The Bad Seeds upcoming material. However, Jim Sclavunos later said: "I can't predict what the future of Grinderman is - if there is a future." The band reunited for a one-off performance at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California in April 2013.
http://www.grinderman.com
Man In The Moon
Grinderman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's what I was often taught
My daddy went away to soon
Now he's living on the moon
Hang on to me people, we're going down
Down among the fishes in an absence of sound
It's the presence of distance and it's floating in time
Sitting here scratching in this rented room
Scratching and a tapping to the man in the moon
About all the things that I've been taught
My daddy was an astronaut
The song "Man In The Moon" by Grinderman is a melancholic ballad about the longing for a father who went away too soon. The lyrics are about the singer's father being an astronaut, and how he was taught this since childhood. The first stanza, "My daddy was an astronaut, That's what I was often taught, My daddy went away too soon, Now he's living on the moon" portrays the singer's admiration for his father, and how he still longs for him.
The second stanza, "Hang on to me people, we're going down, Down among the fishes in an absence of sound, It's the presence of distance and it's floating in time, It's lack and it's longing and it's not very kind", describes the singer's sense of being lost and alone, and how he feels like he is sinking into a vast ocean of emptiness. The imagery of being down among the fishes in an absence of sound, emphasizes the sense of isolation and loneliness. The lines "It's the presence of distance and it's floating in time" emphasize the feeling of longing for someone who is not physically there.
The last stanza "Sitting here scratching in this rented room, Scratching and tapping to the man in the moon, About all the things that I've been taught, My daddy was an astronaut" shows that the singer is still searching for solace by talking to the man in the moon, about how his father used to be. The scratching and tapping in the rented room furthers the sense of loneliness, as if the singer has nobody else to turn to. Overall, the lyrics convey a deep sense of loss and sadness, and how the singer still longs for his father who is now living on the moon.
Line by Line Meaning
My daddy was an astronaut
The singer was told that their father was an astronaut
That's what I was often taught
The statement about the singer's father was frequently emphasized to them
My daddy went away to soon
The singer's father left them at an early age
Now he's living on the moon
The artist imagines their father as living on the moon
Hang on to me people, we're going down
The artist is calling for support as they face a difficult situation
Down among the fishes in an absence of sound
The singer feels as if they are descending to the depths of the ocean, where there is no noise
It's the presence of distance and it's floating in time
The singer is describing the feeling of being separated from someone or something by both physical and temporal space
It's lack and it's longing and it's not very kind
The artist sees their situation as characterized by feelings of emptiness and desire, which are painful
Sitting here scratching in this rented room
The artist is in a temporary, uncomfortable living situation
Scratching and a tapping to the man in the moon
The artist is attempting to reach out or communicate in some way with the imagined figure of their father on the moon
About all the things that I've been taught
The singer is thinking about the ideas and beliefs they have been raised with
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Mute Song Limited, Sentric Music
Written by: Jim Sclavunos, Martyn Casey, Nicholas Cave, Warren Ellis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@billkara5122
My daddy was an astronaut
That's what I was often taught
My daddy went away too soon
Now he's living on the moon
Hang on to me people
We're going down
Down among the fishes in an absence of sound
It's the presence of distance and it's floating in time
It's lack and it's longing and it's not very kind
Send it scratching in this rented room
Scratching and atapping to the man in the moon
About all the things that I've been taught
My daddy was an astronaut
@mda217
I fuckin' don't know why, but every time at 2:25 and then 2:36 I start crying... Every fuckin' time. When only music (no lyrics) can do that to you, you know the defintion of a genius (of music creation and performance).
@mclerins
Great whole band
@billkara5122
My daddy was an astronaut
That's what I was often taught
My daddy went away too soon
Now he's living on the moon
Hang on to me people
We're going down
Down among the fishes in an absence of sound
It's the presence of distance and it's floating in time
It's lack and it's longing and it's not very kind
Send it scratching in this rented room
Scratching and atapping to the man in the moon
About all the things that I've been taught
My daddy was an astronaut
@lecicmiroslav83
Sitting here, scratching
@nikolafilipovic154
Work of art!
@markphc99
Genius at work
@realtruth4804
It's rough but my favorite version of this song
@louminisalouminios9559
not because of it?
@realtruth4804
@louminisalouminios9559 I do like the garage element to it yeah, but the electric mandolin addition which the album version doesn't have just gives it a lot more energy and groove
@gianlukant5693
Adoro quest'uomo